Government Says UPI Will Stay Free for Consumers Despite New MDR Rules

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman clarified during the parliamentary debate that UPI transactions will remain free for end‑users. She emphasized that any future MDR charges will be limited to specific categories of business transactions and will not be passed on to regular consumers. The assurance aims to quell public anxiety after rumors of possible fees on UPI payments surfaced. Nonetheless, experts warn that if merchants incur MDR costs, they may eventually transfer those expenses to customers, potentially affecting the overall cost of digital payments.